Provided is a prestroke adjustment method for a fuel injection valve capable of reducing variations in a prestroke amount regardless of the level of machining accuracy of a component. The prestroke adjustment method adjusts a prestroke amount D2 of a fuel injection valve 1 including a gap forming member 50 that forms a gap G2 defining a prestroke between a valve member 30 and engagement portions 33a and 423a of a movable core 42 by a second portion 52a abutting on the movable core 42 in a state where a first portion 51a is positioned at a reference position 33b of the valve member 30. In the prestroke adjustment method, a load L in the direction from the first portion 51a toward the reference position 33b of the valve member 30 is applied to the gap forming member 50 assembled to the valve member 30 to plastically deform the gap forming member 50, thereby shortening the relative length between the first portion 51a and the second portion 52a and setting the prestroke amount D2 to the target value T2.

A control valve assembly of a fuel injector includes a first valve arrangement wherein a first valve spool is guided in a first hydraulic bore provided in a body of the assembly. The control assembly further includes a first tubular sleeve having a seating portion which end face defines the first seating face, the first sleeve being fixed in the first hydraulic bore and the first spool extending through the sleeve.

An insert for use with a fuel injector comprises a shaft including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a shaft cylindrical axis, a shaft radial direction, and a shaft diameter; and a head including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a head cylindrical axis, a head radial direction, and a head diameter. The shaft and head may be attached to each other, the shaft cylindrical axis and the head cylindrical axis may be parallel to each other, the head diameter may be greater than the shaft diameter, and the shaft cylindrical axis may be spaced away from the head cylindrical axis.

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in a fuel injector that includes an upper housing portion that defines an inlet passage adapted to receive fuel, and a lower housing portion that is attached to the upper housing portion and that defines an injector outlet adapted to dispense fuel. The fuel injector includes an electromagnetic coil assembly that is user removable while the upper housing portion remains attached to the lower housing portion. The fuel injector includes a movable pintle that is biased to a closed position that is adapted to prevent fuel from flowing through the injector outlet, and movable, responsive to magnetic force produced by energizing the electromagnetic coil assembly, to an open position that is adapted to permit fuel to flow through the injector outlet.

The disclosure provides a system and method for determining an amount of fuel injected or delivered by a single fuel injector in an internal combustion engine by generating one fuel injection event after the engine has stopped operating. The fuel delivered is statistically analyzed in comparison with a commanded fuel delivery amounts to determine the suitability of fuel injector on-time calibration for the analyzed fuel injector. If the fuel delivered deviates from the commanded amount of fuel delivery by a predetermined value, the fuel injector on-time calibration for the analyzed fuel injector is changed.

A method for adapting the injection characteristic of a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine to production-related tolerances is described. In the method, an injection quantity correction value is determined from the deviation of the idle travel and the deviation of the injection quantity of the injection valve before the operating phase of the injector. This injection quantity correction value is used to determine the injection-specific deviation of the injection quantity during the operating phase at the start of the operating phase of the injector in conjunction with the current deviation of the idle travel which is determined in the system. The injector-specific deviation of the injection quantity which is determined is used to correct the injection characteristic. As a result, changes in the injection quantity of an injector can be detected and corrected particularly precisely on the basis of production tolerances.

A fuel injection valve is provided that can reduce variations in stroke length by reducing distortion during welding, and consequently can reduce variations in flow rate of injected fuel. The fuel injection valve has a nozzle; a fixed valve that is press-fit into a tip of the nozzle and has a fuel injection port from which the fuel is injected; and a movable element that forms a fuel seal section by abutting against the fixed valve, and opens and closes the fuel injection port. The fixed valve and the nozzle are fixed in place by welding at a position with no space due to press-fitting. A groove that serves as an empty space is provided in a continuation of a welded section that is formed in the fixed valve and the nozzle by the welding.

A method for monitoring a pressure sensor in a direct injection system including at least one common rail, a high-pressure fuel pump, a hydraulic circuit connecting the high-pressure pump to the common rail, a passive pressure-limiting valve connected to the hydraulic circuit, configured to open once the pressure in the hydraulic circuit is greater than a threshold pressure, so as to discharge the fuel, including the steps of detecting the opening of the pressure-limiting valve, measuring the pressure P.sub.MES corresponding to the time of opening of the pressure-limiting valve and comparing the measured pressure P.sub.MES to the threshold pressure P.sub.1 in order to detect a drift in the pressure sensor.

A method for monitoring a pressure sensor in a direct injection system including at least one common rail, a high-pressure fuel pump, a hydraulic circuit connecting the high-pressure pump to the common rail, a passive pressure-limiting valve connected to the hydraulic circuit, configured to open once the pressure in the hydraulic circuit is greater than a threshold pressure, so as to discharge the fuel, including the steps of detecting the opening of the pressure-limiting valve, measuring the pressure P.sub.MES corresponding to the time of opening of the pressure-limiting valve and comparing the measured pressure P.sub.MES to the threshold pressure P.sub.1 in order to detect a drift in the pressure sensor.

Various embodiments may include a method for adapting the opening behavior of a fuel injector having a solenoid drive, the method comprising: applying a voltage pulse having a predetermined electrical voltage to the solenoid drive; acquiring a time profile of the strength of a current flowing through the solenoid drive; comparing the acquired time profile with a reference profile; and adjusting a value of a mechanical parameter of the fuel injector to reduce a deviation between the acquired time profile of the strength of the current and the reference profile.